by Felicia Fonseca
Daily Lobo
The sixth leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2001 is affecting more and more young people every day.
Diabetes, particularly Type 2, which keeps the body's cells from properly using insulin, has shown to be more aggressive in people ages 18 to 44, according to a recent study conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research.
As the U.S. population becomes increasingly overweight, researchers expect Type 2 diabetes to appear more frequently in younger, pre-pubescent children.
Beverly Kloeppel, interim director of the UNM Student Health Center, said a sedentary lifestyle and the growing epidemic of obesity are contributing to the rise of this disease.
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She said the availability of high-calorie foods, such as fast foods, is a big contributor.
"A set of genes predisposes you, then you add factors such as weight," Kloeppel said.
At the SHC, students, particularly those with a family history of the disease, are screened for low blood sugar, a symptom of Type 2 diabetes. Insulin, the hormone the body produces in response to a decrease in blood sugar, is either not being made by the body's cells or being resisted by them.
"It gets to the point where you can't produce enough insulin to meet the body's requirements," Kloeppel said.
According to the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program at the New Mexico Department of Health, one out of three New Mexicans who have diabetes don't know they have the disease. Ethnic groups such as Hispanics, African Americans and American Indians are also at high risk. However, as people get older, regardless of race or ethnicity, the risk increases.
The program's Web site lists fatigue, hunger, blurred vision, frequent urination and unusual thirst as other symptoms of the disease.
As the SHC sees more students who manifest signs of diabetes early on, Kloeppel advises students to exercise and keep a stricter diet, one that is sustainable in the long run with the right combination of nutritious foods and favorable foods so students are able to stick with it.
Although there is no real consensus on weight loss diets for those who have a genetic predisposition to diabetes, there are serious consequences for those who do not control their diet, Kloeppel said.
It is a very expensive health problem, she said, which can lead to heart and kidney disease, neurological complications, infections and even death.
"There are drugs available to keep blood sugar under control, but it is important to be active," Kloeppel said.
